DO WE GIVE UP OUR PRIVACY TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA? This week Bob wonders if privacy is a thing of the past in the age of social media.

 It was bound to happen. I just read that some employers are asking employees for their social media passwords. Of course, this has ripped open legislator arguments on both sides of the fence. I heard it's Bill, H.R. 3309, would prevent employers from demanding workers' social networking usernames and passwords — and would have allowed the FCC to act on behalf of employees and their privacy. It was unceremoniously shot down in even hit some regional courts. I read about this in a post on The Atlantic website (Your Facebook Page). The post said that a proposed the House. The upshot? Right now, any employer can ask any employee for his or her social media passwords.

Fortunately, the practice of employers asking for social networking passwords is not widespread. But it does raise the question, "How private is your social media information, and should you retain the right to this privacy?" I've heard both sides of the issue.

On one side, there's the ACLU. They compare requesting passwords to opening someone else's mail. An ACLU spokesperson said, "You'd be appalled if your employer insisted on opening up your postal mail to see if there was anything of interest inside... it's equally out of bounds for an employer to go on a fishing expedition through a person's private social media account." Good point, right?

On the other side, the argument is that employers are within their rights to require drug tests and personality tests of their employees (I agree with this; it protects the safety of all employees). The argument goes on to suggest that — just as students have a reduced expectation of privacy while they're at school — employees have a reduced expectation of privacy while they're at work. Yes; to some degree. But, how far can employers go?

I've always felt that, as individuals, we have our right to self-expression, and we'll seek employment where we feel comfortable with people who seem like us. That said, I believe that, as adults, we have an obligation to think before we post anything that may embarrass us or those close to us. In that way, if we're obligated (for reasons of national or local security, or for the protection of our business) to divulge our social media passwords, we'll feel comfortable with the outcome.

It seems that many people feel the same as I do about this issue. A recent (Feb. 27, 2012) Pew Study: Social Media Users Active in Protecting Privacy, found that users are more active in managing their social media accounts. Compared to 2009, a higher percentage of users deleted people from their “friends” lists, deleted comments made by others on their profile, and removed their names from photos in which they were tagged.

ONE LAST THING...  A note about data mining: Be careful. Facebook has been accused of data mining, which Wikipedia says is "analyzing data from different perspectives and summarizing it into useful information that can be used to increase revenue, cuts costs, or both." Many believe this is an infringement on their privacy too. Facebook's revised privacy policy does offer users tools to prevent third-party websites from getting personal information. But, it's up to the user to apply these privacy settings. The information to protect your identity is out there, and it seems that more of us are using it. Have you ever changed your Facebook page for security reasons? If so, why?

HEALTHCARE FOLLOWING THE TREND OF SMART PHONE APPS. This week Bob turns to the Shamrock team for news about an app for patient insurance cards.

A recent Google search suggests that nearly half (46%) of American adults are smartphone owners (as of February 2012). That's an increase of 11 percentage points over the 35% of Americans who owned a smartphone last May. And healthcare providers are taking notice of this increasing trend for smartphones. One healthcare app for smartphone users is called a Mobile Healthcare Card Web Services App. This easy-to-use app will make carrying insurance ID in your wallet or purse obsolete.

Remember when healthcare insurance providers would send a plastic or paper card? The card went into a user's wallet or purse, ready to be handed over when a healthcare provider requested it. That's if it didn't get lost somewhere between wallet and healthcare provider. (Did you ever lose your insurance card and frantically search for it before an appointment with your healthcare provider?)

With this new app, it's impossible to lose your card and it's easy to present it to your healthcare provider. All the app user has to do is whip out his or her smartphone, click the healthcare card app with insurance information, and email or fax it to the healthcare provider.

ONE LAST THING... Healthcare delivery is complex. With mobile technology, delivery of healthcare insurance information doesn't have to be complicated. If you or one of your clients may be interested in new ideas for mobile delivery of healthcare information, give Shamrock a call.

DON'T FEAR THE TAXMAN. This week's post is hosted by Shamrock's President, Tim Connor

"...If you drive a car, I'll tax the street,

If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat.

If you get too cold, I'll tax the heat..."

                                Taxman, The Beatles

This being pay-the-taxman-week, you might be interested to learn how some municipalities are making it easier for residents to pay utility bills and residential taxes — and to be happier about paying them, too. You heard right. If there's a quicker, easier way and a system for checks and balances to ensure the bills have been properly processed, everyone — the municipal system and the people they serve — will be happier.

A few years ago, a smart strategic Shamrock team and I developed UBill Advance. We came to realize that, with an increase usage of everyday technology, customers expect more options in bill payment. The good news is UBill Advance offers a variety of bill-paying options. It can handle credit card or electronic funds transfer debits (commonly known as e-checks), and an extended range of payment services. These services include the ability for customers to make payments without registering and to schedule future payments automatically. Consumers can choose to print their bill, view archived copies of previous bills, and pay the bill electronically.

Services such as UBill Advance pay off handsomely for municipalities, hospitals, utility companies and lending institutions. For example, Aspen Marketing Services, working in conjunction with Fiserv and Qwest Communications, conducted a study (impact of e-bill payment) and found that a bill-paying system can result in lower customer turnover of between 15 and 25% as well as a significant lowering cost of delivering bills.

Some aspects of UBill (http://www.ubilladvance.com/) include:

• Customized statements at a fraction of the cost
• Management and tracking of customer payments
• The capability to bill via print and mail or Internet
• Improved revenue cycles
• A greater return on investment
• Collection of payments quicker

ONE LAST THING... Taxes, community services and bill paying are inevitable. An easier way to do so, while not priceless, makes the process much less painful.

pURLs OF WISDOM. This week Bob discusses direct marketing security issues.

I'm not the wise man of direct marketing, but I know some pretty smart people at Shamrock who can offer some sound advice. For example, I've learned that while new marketing techniques such as social media, QR codes and mobile may be new and exciting, direct marketing is the granddaddy that still draws a huge percentage of cold cash for marketers. Direct marketing continues to be a smart strategy for targeting a specific audience and learning more about those interested in your product/service. I've also learned that it's the marketer's responsibility to guard the security of the recipients’ personally identifiable information and to provide secure transactions. So, I guess the operative word is "smart".

Several good people at Shamrock sent me to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) website. I'd say it's a smart move to take advantage of DMA's advice. The DMA site explains how marketers can be vigilant about protecting consumers' security online and they offer clear guidelines. Here are just some of the sound direct marketing practices offered by DMA. Check their website for more (Security Guidelines):

• Establish information security policies and practices to assure uninterrupted security of information systems.
• Create and implement staff policies, procedures, training and responsiveness measures to protect personally identifiable information handled in the everyday performance of duties.
• Employ/Reassess protective physical safeguards and technological measures to support information security policies.
• Inform all associates and providers that handle personal information of their responsibility to ensure that their practices maintain security consistent with your information security policies.

Direct marketing is so powerful because it provides the ability to make a campaign personal, relevant and timely. And Personalized URLs (pURLs) enhance this power of direct marketing. A pURL is a personalized web address (such as www.mysite.com/johnsmith) that directs the recipient to a landing page. PURLs can neatly merge an email or printed communication with a fully personalized online customer experience.

While pURLs are a great direct marketing resource, as marketers we have make sure they're safe – from hackers and other online intruders. Online safety becomes an important issue when pURLs are included in offline formats like postcards or other types of mail. On one hand, the pURL address must be easy for the recipient to type correctly, but it’s important to prevent others from easily working out the recipient's pURL address and accessing personal data. There are steps marketers can follow to reduce the risk of a customer's data falling into the wrong hands. (At Shamrock, we follow a whole list of to-do's when we set up direct marketing security for customers.) The first and most important step is to get a security certificate. Secondly, keep customer-updated details in a separate database that can be checked and cleaned before being overwritten to your main database. A third obvious, but critical step, is to make sure each customer's pURL is unique to that customer. I've been told that accidents happen, so it's always best to double-check.

ONE LAST THING...  It's safe to say that, as direct marketing has become more accessible online, the number of hackers and phishing expeditions has grown too. Think about the measures you're taking to protect the identity of your online direct marketing customers. Are they as safe as possible? If you're wondering, call us and speak with one of our pros.

ARE MOBILE PAYMENT APPS DIVINE OR THE DEVIL? This week Bob asks: Is cash dead?

I like money. The smelly, dirty, green stuff that you put into your wallet every morning before leaving the house. Plastic also has a special place in my well used wallet.

But today, more and more people are making mobile payments (often called virtual wallets by in-the-know smartphone users). Mobile payment is an alternative to carrying cash for simple things such as a cup of coffee to more expensive items such as concert tickets. Instead of paying with cash, check or credit cards a consumer can use a smartphone to pay for a wide range of services and goods. According to recent studies, mobile payments are expected to reach more than $600 billion globally by 2013, which will double the current estimate of more than $300 billion. So, is cash dead?

According to a recent blog post on Bankrate.com (mobile payments by smartphone still dicey), "Store scanners can read payment data on your smartphone, but the market is learning as it goes. So, early adopters need extra layers of safety when downloading mobile payment apps of stores."

But, there are success stories out there; otherwise this phenomenal growth would not be taking place. One great success story is Starbucks. Howard Schultz, president and CEO of Starbucks, claims that his company is "...the number one company not in the U.S. but in the world in terms of mobile payment, transactions and dollars.” In December 2011, Starbucks revealed that it has had 26 million mobile transactions since the launch of its mobile payment program in January 2011. Starbucks reported total net revenues increased in the last quarter of 2011 by 16% to a record $3.4 billion.

There are three good reasons for Starbucks success, according to a senior analyst with Forrester Research:

1.  Coffee is a frequently purchased item and customers are typically looking to get in and out of a store quickly.

2.  Starbucks owns the point-of-sale terminals in its locations, making the transaction a closed loop. This also enables Starbucks to easily make changes.

3.  Starbucks has a close relationship with many consumers who are members of its loyalty program.

Other transactions within the same model as Starbucks, such as mass transit, entertainment venues and national grocery chains will see similar success. And while wariness on the part of businesses and consumers alike will likely fade away, it's still good to be cautious in exploring mobile payments.

ONE LAST THING...

Marketing in this new virtual era has its virtues and its vices. My advice to businesses entering into mobile payment is to test, test, test, before going public. Make sure the mobile payment app you provide for customers is safe, secure and well-encrypted.

FOURSQUARE: A MOBILE APP THAT PROFITS BUSINESSES AND CUSTOMERS. This week Bob turns his blog over to the Shamrock Foursquare Maven, Kasey Crabtree

For those of you who may have heard about foursquare, but don't know what it is, let me tell you simply that foursquare is great.  Foursquare started slowly in 2009. By February 21, 2011 there were 7 million foursquare users and by the end of 2011 that number reached 15 million worldwide users. (Geek Note: On August 8, 2011 President Barack Obama joined foursquare, with the intention that the staff at the White House would use the service to post tips from places the President has visited.)

Here's a quick overview: foursquare is a location-based social networking app, mainly used by people who have a smartphone. Participating customers "check-in" at local venues (often restaurants, coffee shops, concerts, even stores) using a foursquare app to select from a list of nearby locations. Each check-in awards the participant points and sometimes badges. Badges are fun to acquire and reflect the type of venues patrons frequently visit. For example, there is the barista badge, acquired after a patron has visited several different coffee shops. Participants can also add tips and recommendations related to the businesses they visit.

Foursquare is a great marketing device and it's also fun for the participating customer. Actually, foursquare has come to be regarded as cool: a quick way to find the places where the hip hang out.

(By the way, I'd suggest if you have a business and you want to use foursquare, have a foursquare manager responsible to start your page and make sure it's working well.)  

The technique is simple. The participating customer, generally someone with a smartphone, downloads a foursquare app and finds your business based upon a GPS locator. If you offer a good promotion, you're in! For example, you're a local restaurant. You set up a special foursquare deal so that every third check-in gives the participating customer a free appetizer. People who participate most with your business can become a 'mayor' at your establishment. If the business wishes to do so, a 'mayor' may be offered benefits that are somewhat like a loyalty program.

Another bonus for business owners other than generating additional income – when someone checks into your establishment on foursquare – he or she is providing you with free advertising, and perhaps generating more business for you when he or she invites friends to come and join the fun at your venue! Participants may even send their foursquare location to Facebook or Twitter to further spread the word.

Foursquare has generated a lot of street credibility since Amex hooked up with it for a second holiday season in 2011 (foursquare+Amex). Thanks to foursquare + Amex’s “Spend $25, get $25 Small Business Saturday in 2011”, Thanksgiving shoppers around the country bought gifts, had restaurant meals and supported local businesses without putting a dent in their wallets. Despite some glitches, the promotion generated more than 2.75M “Likes” on Amex's Facebook Fan Page.

ONE LAST THING...

For us at Shamrock, developing a foursquare plan is simple. If you would like to try foursquare, but you're not sure, give us a call at Shamrock. We can help you develop a sound marketing strategy around foursquare – One designed to generate new business for you.

BUSINESSES WITH A MOBILE WEBSITE PLAN TO EAT YOUR LUNCH. This week Bob makes a rock solid case for building a mobile business site.

Last week I read that more than 40% people in the U.S. access the web via a mobile device. Not their desktop. Not even their laptop! I was kind of surprised when I read this statistic. It made me realize how important it is for businesses to have a mobile website — which is a bit different from a computer-based website. Today, consumers don’t have to carry their laptops to find the latest news, driving directions or brand information anymore. They can access anything from a smart phone.

I also read that mobile search engine result pages are different than the normal desktop results. Seems we need a mobile website to capture these results to help our business. Have a look below for a couple of tips to think about:

Five Reasons Why Your Business Needs a Mobile Website

1. Mobile Crosses All Boundaries

It's universal but it's also local. Mobile is the current hotspot for getting your business noticed. More than ever before, people are using their smart phones or tablets to access information on the web. Capitalizing on this growing market is important for future success.

2. Mobile Search is Surging

It's one of the fastest growing online resources. The world's biggest search engines are heavily invested in mobile, because that's where the action is. The best way for your business to be found is to be listed in top search engines and have a fully optimized site that is user friendly. Besides adapting to the smaller screen of a mobile phone, mobile sites are also easier to navigate using a touch or keypad and provide direct access to the information that a customer is more likely to need while on the go.

3. Mobile is Of-the-Moment

Besides searching for vacation spots, restaurants and sporting events, social networking is contributing to the sudden expansion of mobile. Social sites like Facebook and Twitter make mobile devices fun and functional, and review sites like Yelp add an immediacy to smart phone usage. Businesses that capitalize on these resources with a mobile optimized site have a leg up on the competition.

4. Mobile is Shopping

Mobile devices have changed the way consumers shop. Besides getting real-time price comparisons from multiple online retailers, mobile can provide consumers access to special deals through coupon sites like Groupon or Living Social. They also drive foot traffic through special, time-sensitive deals. With a mobile-ready website, your business can leverage this growing, quickly expanding shopping channel.

5. Mobile is Local

If your business thrives on local foot traffic, a mobile website can help engage residents with search maps and directories that make it easy for them to find you. Google Maps and other local directories can quickly bring up your location, contact and address. All these tools are enhanced with a mobile website that turns traffic into customers.  

ONE LAST THING...

Obviously, I've just scratched the surface to get you thinking about a mobile website. While it's not brain surgery, a mobile website does require some expertise to help you get the biggest bang for your buck. If you'd like more information, give us a call and we'll help you work your way through setting up a useful mobile website that meets your specific needs.